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Adam's Promise
Madeline Oxley has been ruined by a scandal through no fault of her own, and her future looks bleak. When a gentleman from her past requests that she set sail for the New World to become his wife, she jumps at the chance to become a mail order bride and marry the man she has loved since she was a girl.
Adam Coates was a mere tenant farmer when he left England for the British Colony of Nova Scotia, but now he is a prosperous and influential landowner. What Madeline doesn’t know is that her father has hoodwinked them both—for the bride Adam truly wanted was her beautiful, older sister, Diana—his first love. When Madeline steps off the ship with romantic dreams of her long-awaited happily-ever-after, she is shocked and dismayed to discover the truth. Madeline is furious with her father for his treachery, but she has sailed across an ocean to an unfamiliar land and must remain, at least temporarily, under the protection of the man she still loves—the man who still intends to wed her sister.
Over the coming weeks, as their friendship deepens and grows, will Adam come to realize that he’d set his heart on the wrong sister all along? Or will it be too late to find the happiness they both desire?
Adam Coates was a mere tenant farmer when he left England for the British Colony of Nova Scotia, but now he is a prosperous and influential landowner. What Madeline doesn’t know is that her father has hoodwinked them both—for the bride Adam truly wanted was her beautiful, older sister, Diana—his first love. When Madeline steps off the ship with romantic dreams of her long-awaited happily-ever-after, she is shocked and dismayed to discover the truth. Madeline is furious with her father for his treachery, but she has sailed across an ocean to an unfamiliar land and must remain, at least temporarily, under the protection of the man she still loves—the man who still intends to wed her sister.
Over the coming weeks, as their friendship deepens and grows, will Adam come to realize that he’d set his heart on the wrong sister all along? Or will it be too late to find the happiness they both desire?
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
323 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
Julianne MacLean
80 books4,390 followersJulianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven Series. Readers have described her books as “breathtaking,” “soulful” and “uplifting.” MacLean is a four-time RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been published in over a dozen languages.
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.
For more information about Julianne and her writing life, please visit her website at www.juliannemaclean.com. Be sure to follow her on Bookbub to be notified whenever her ebooks are offered for FREE or 99 cents. (www.bookbub.com/authors/julianne-maclean) and chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/JulianneMacLeanRoman...), Twitter (@JulianneMacLean), and Instagram (@JulianneMaclean).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
February 5, 2026
Yorkshire England 1775
Twenty six year old Madeline was a daughter of a tenant farmer.
One day her father returned back from his trip to London with a letter at hand.
He said that someone was asking for her hand in marriage. She was to leave on a ship in five days.
Madeline was pleasantly surprised upon learning who the man was. Adam!
She had been awestruck by the sight of him since she was eleven years old, when he rode into their yard to call on her older sister Diana who was eighteen at the time and very beautiful, and he was twenty-eight. He was in love with her sister.
It was the first time Madeline had ever seen a man so handsome.
But Diana jilted him to marry a rich Lord and Madeline never saw him again.
He left for Canada and it's been fifteen years since she saw him.
Diana was recently widowed, in London.
After Diana married in the aristocracy, heartbroken Adam started a relationship with a widow.
The widow got pregnant so he married her.
After a few years they left England for Nova Scotia. The couple had children together.
His wife was nice, but sometime during the first year of their marriage, she became nasty and disagreeable.
Just after Adam's nuptials, Diana started sending him love letters and continued doing so for a year.
She had written intimate things to him, reminisced about their times together.
She had also sent him a miniature of herself.
He never wrote back, he could not encourage her. She had made her choice, but he kept the letters in a box and it was the first thing he packed to take to Nova Scotia.
In hindsight he suspected that his wife might have gone through his things and found them, it would certainly have explained some of her anger and insecurities.
He was now a widower and he heard that Diana was recently widowed too.
Adam was now forty-three years old.
Now back to Madeline: What she did not know was that the woman Adam had requested to marry in the letter was not Madeline, but Diana.
Her father deceived her as he did not want to send Diana, who was his favourite, abroad.
Seven weeks later Madeline arrived at the port of Nova Scotia.
She saw Adam waiting. He was more handsome than ever.
She approached him "How do you do, Mr Coats"
"No, it is someone else l have come to meet. We are to be married. Her name is Lady Diana Thurston".
Shock, confusion, heartbreak and humiliation was quickly rising up within Madeline as the colour drained from her face.
She told him that she was Diane's sister.
His anger and disappointment was clear.
"Sir, you are not the only one who has been inconvenienced. I have just spent forty-six days on a damp, creaky ship eating dry oatmeal and drinking stale water, and now you tell me in front of everyone l got to know for the past weeks, that l am not the one you ordered. "
"Diana was the obvious choice. Lord in heaven, what were you thinking?"
Madeline refused to go with him, until he told her that he needed her to teach his son and daughter.
Adam sent another letter, directly to Diana this time, with a marriage proposal and an invitation to her to come to him.
In the interim, something had happened...and it won't be long till Diana showed up...
I want to say a few things about dear Diana :
Diana was one devious, self centred, vain, opportunistic, deceitful, dishonest, jealous, malicious, manipulative, inconsiderate, pompous, judgemental, lazy, faithless, materialistic, and vindictive trouble-maker, among other things.
Twenty six year old Madeline was a daughter of a tenant farmer.
One day her father returned back from his trip to London with a letter at hand.
He said that someone was asking for her hand in marriage. She was to leave on a ship in five days.
Madeline was pleasantly surprised upon learning who the man was. Adam!
She had been awestruck by the sight of him since she was eleven years old, when he rode into their yard to call on her older sister Diana who was eighteen at the time and very beautiful, and he was twenty-eight. He was in love with her sister.
It was the first time Madeline had ever seen a man so handsome.
But Diana jilted him to marry a rich Lord and Madeline never saw him again.
He left for Canada and it's been fifteen years since she saw him.
Diana was recently widowed, in London.
After Diana married in the aristocracy, heartbroken Adam started a relationship with a widow.
The widow got pregnant so he married her.
After a few years they left England for Nova Scotia. The couple had children together.
His wife was nice, but sometime during the first year of their marriage, she became nasty and disagreeable.
Just after Adam's nuptials, Diana started sending him love letters and continued doing so for a year.
She had written intimate things to him, reminisced about their times together.
She had also sent him a miniature of herself.
He never wrote back, he could not encourage her. She had made her choice, but he kept the letters in a box and it was the first thing he packed to take to Nova Scotia.
In hindsight he suspected that his wife might have gone through his things and found them, it would certainly have explained some of her anger and insecurities.
He was now a widower and he heard that Diana was recently widowed too.
Adam was now forty-three years old.
Now back to Madeline: What she did not know was that the woman Adam had requested to marry in the letter was not Madeline, but Diana.
Her father deceived her as he did not want to send Diana, who was his favourite, abroad.
Seven weeks later Madeline arrived at the port of Nova Scotia.
She saw Adam waiting. He was more handsome than ever.
She approached him "How do you do, Mr Coats"
"No, it is someone else l have come to meet. We are to be married. Her name is Lady Diana Thurston".
Shock, confusion, heartbreak and humiliation was quickly rising up within Madeline as the colour drained from her face.
She told him that she was Diane's sister.
His anger and disappointment was clear.
"Sir, you are not the only one who has been inconvenienced. I have just spent forty-six days on a damp, creaky ship eating dry oatmeal and drinking stale water, and now you tell me in front of everyone l got to know for the past weeks, that l am not the one you ordered. "
"Diana was the obvious choice. Lord in heaven, what were you thinking?"
Madeline refused to go with him, until he told her that he needed her to teach his son and daughter.
Adam sent another letter, directly to Diana this time, with a marriage proposal and an invitation to her to come to him.
In the interim, something had happened...and it won't be long till Diana showed up...
I want to say a few things about dear Diana :
Diana was one devious, self centred, vain, opportunistic, deceitful, dishonest, jealous, malicious, manipulative, inconsiderate, pompous, judgemental, lazy, faithless, materialistic, and vindictive trouble-maker, among other things.
May 25, 2016
This is the story of Adam and Madeleine and a very bad, horrible mistake. Adam is a really stupid hero. First, he's in love with the beautiful daughter of a wealthy farmer, Diana, who dumps him for a wealthy, titled older man. Says a lot about her character doesn't it? Two, his love continues to write to him AS HIS LOVER for the first year of her marriage. He doesn't write back but saves all her letters along with her miniature. Says more about her character, doesn't it? Actually, it's starting to say a lot about his character too. Oh, yeah, did I mention that during this first year he married a young widow? Unsurprisingly, Adam's marriage to his rebound is staggeringly unhappy although they do manage to churn out a respectable number of offspring over the years - right up until she dies in childbirth. At one point in the present, Adam takes the miniature and letters out of the box he keeps in his desk and thinks how fortunate it is that his deceased wife never knew of their existence. Hmmm, then he wonders if possibly his wife knew that he saved these things and if so, wondered if it could explain some of her anger and bitterness during their marriage. Ya think asshole????? Particularly if you consider that the family had to transport all their belongings in an expensive and dangerous sea crossing when they migrated from England to Canada. Every item had to be judged as to value and he chose to tote around a box with a picture of his girlfriend who dumped him and her letters bitching about what a mistake she made being married to someone else. Seriously, during a time when material wealth was limited and goods were cherished, repaired and passed down, he had to be willingly obtuse to think his wife didn't know about a cedar box he kept locked in the desk.
Eventually, both Adam and Diana are free of those pesky unwanted spouses - who they both took to marriage by their own free will and choice. Adam quickly writes to Diana's father offering marriage. Daddy dearest decides, instead, to ship off his younger, unloved daughter Madeleine telling her that the hero of her childhood, Adam, has asked for her hand in marriage. Adam's behavior towards the heroine is so egregious. First, he humiliates her in public when she arrives in Canada thinking that she is to be welcomed as his bride. Oops, he wanted his old newly widowed girlfriend back and instead he gets this much plainer younger sister. He acts out in public in front of the other passengers and everyone else at the docks.
Being as sensitive as he is to the feelings of others, he quickly works to rectify the mistake, shoving the heroine into a household role, first, as a governess to his brood and then as his housekeeper when his old housekeeper quits to get married. He quickly writes to London to offer up marriage proxy papers to make sure he gets the right goods this time. A large part of his concern for Madeleine is based on not wanting to piss off Diana by treating her younger sister badly. What a guy. Can I just point out now that this guy has carried around his lust for Diana for years. He's totally oblivious to her obvious shallowness and inappropriateness as a working farmer's wife. He's a farmer who loves working with the land - she's always been a social climber. He's a farmer and needs a large healthy family. She has not produced any offspring and since her deceased spouse had children and she was chosen for her appearance and not to breed, you would think the assumption would be that she can't have children. He's a farmer and she is used to being taken care of by servants and being a member of the aristocracy. What? Did he think that living as a Lady was going to make her more inclined to want to live as a farmer's wife????? She didn't want to live like that when she was younger. What in the world would make this doofus think it was what she wanted now that she was older and had gotten used to living as an aristocrat??????
Adam is passed off as this admirable, smart man who is loyal in love and who finds himself in a difficult position when he falls for the younger sister. Pthatt. To me, he came off as shallow and self-centered and not particularly nice. I especially hated the way his deceased wife was presented. He turned to Jane when he was heartbroken and she was kind and supportive. When she got pregnant, they married. The way Adam tells the story, that was when her true colors came out and she turned into a raging, angry, destructive bitch who made his life miserable. Of course, he realizes that maybe Jane knew deep down that he never stopped loving Diana. Can I just point out here how awful this probably was for Jane? She gave herself and her future over to this man who had been devastated and broken by another woman. She worked by his side as the wife of an immigrant farmer in a harsh land, sharing his life and his bed in all likelihood knowing that he kept love letters written while he was a married man. The fact that it never seemed to occur to him that Jane's bad attitude during their marriage could be directly attributed to him, oh, yuck, he's such a creep. Imagine for a moment what it was like for Jane when she was with Adam. Seriously, think about how those feelings would have played out during moments of intimacy. Also, remember that Jane had no options. If she was unhappy, there was nothing she could do about it - except maybe rage and break a few things??? I just felt so badly for Jane. She loses her first husband leaving her a vulnerable young widow; marries a man to whom she offered her home, her support, her body and her reputation - pretty much everything a woman had back then; likely discovers that he has maintained a deep emotional attachment to someone who was not willing to offer anything for his love; and, then, still has to function as his wife, lover and mother to his children. The ultimate insult is that in spite of the dislike he felt for her, Adam manages to continue to plow that field and Jane dies IN CHILDBIRTH. What an incredibly sad, sad story this is for Jane. I really prefer my HEAs not to come at someone else's expense.
Update 5/25/16: yep, I still hate this story. Just found another scene that chapped my hiney. Towards the end Adam is wondering around outside being ticked off at the world and all the sneaky duplicitous bitches he keeps falling in love with. Shallow Diana who was so clever that he never saw beneath her shallowness; bitter mean old dead Jane who was so pleasant until he married her and then who was soooo hard to live with; and, now, cruel, cruel Maddy who actually had reservations about destroying any chance she might have to rebuild her relationship with her sister. Argh. I hate this guy. It's all the bitches fault. He never spends one damn minute reflecting on his own actions and faults. It's never how shallow I must be to carry a torch for decades for a woman who dumped him and only had her looks to recommend her. If this was set today, Adam would be one of those creepy guys on the internet who spends his time trolling women.
Eventually, both Adam and Diana are free of those pesky unwanted spouses - who they both took to marriage by their own free will and choice. Adam quickly writes to Diana's father offering marriage. Daddy dearest decides, instead, to ship off his younger, unloved daughter Madeleine telling her that the hero of her childhood, Adam, has asked for her hand in marriage. Adam's behavior towards the heroine is so egregious. First, he humiliates her in public when she arrives in Canada thinking that she is to be welcomed as his bride. Oops, he wanted his old newly widowed girlfriend back and instead he gets this much plainer younger sister. He acts out in public in front of the other passengers and everyone else at the docks.
Being as sensitive as he is to the feelings of others, he quickly works to rectify the mistake, shoving the heroine into a household role, first, as a governess to his brood and then as his housekeeper when his old housekeeper quits to get married. He quickly writes to London to offer up marriage proxy papers to make sure he gets the right goods this time. A large part of his concern for Madeleine is based on not wanting to piss off Diana by treating her younger sister badly. What a guy. Can I just point out now that this guy has carried around his lust for Diana for years. He's totally oblivious to her obvious shallowness and inappropriateness as a working farmer's wife. He's a farmer who loves working with the land - she's always been a social climber. He's a farmer and needs a large healthy family. She has not produced any offspring and since her deceased spouse had children and she was chosen for her appearance and not to breed, you would think the assumption would be that she can't have children. He's a farmer and she is used to being taken care of by servants and being a member of the aristocracy. What? Did he think that living as a Lady was going to make her more inclined to want to live as a farmer's wife????? She didn't want to live like that when she was younger. What in the world would make this doofus think it was what she wanted now that she was older and had gotten used to living as an aristocrat??????
Adam is passed off as this admirable, smart man who is loyal in love and who finds himself in a difficult position when he falls for the younger sister. Pthatt. To me, he came off as shallow and self-centered and not particularly nice. I especially hated the way his deceased wife was presented. He turned to Jane when he was heartbroken and she was kind and supportive. When she got pregnant, they married. The way Adam tells the story, that was when her true colors came out and she turned into a raging, angry, destructive bitch who made his life miserable. Of course, he realizes that maybe Jane knew deep down that he never stopped loving Diana. Can I just point out here how awful this probably was for Jane? She gave herself and her future over to this man who had been devastated and broken by another woman. She worked by his side as the wife of an immigrant farmer in a harsh land, sharing his life and his bed in all likelihood knowing that he kept love letters written while he was a married man. The fact that it never seemed to occur to him that Jane's bad attitude during their marriage could be directly attributed to him, oh, yuck, he's such a creep. Imagine for a moment what it was like for Jane when she was with Adam. Seriously, think about how those feelings would have played out during moments of intimacy. Also, remember that Jane had no options. If she was unhappy, there was nothing she could do about it - except maybe rage and break a few things??? I just felt so badly for Jane. She loses her first husband leaving her a vulnerable young widow; marries a man to whom she offered her home, her support, her body and her reputation - pretty much everything a woman had back then; likely discovers that he has maintained a deep emotional attachment to someone who was not willing to offer anything for his love; and, then, still has to function as his wife, lover and mother to his children. The ultimate insult is that in spite of the dislike he felt for her, Adam manages to continue to plow that field and Jane dies IN CHILDBIRTH. What an incredibly sad, sad story this is for Jane. I really prefer my HEAs not to come at someone else's expense.
Update 5/25/16: yep, I still hate this story. Just found another scene that chapped my hiney. Towards the end Adam is wondering around outside being ticked off at the world and all the sneaky duplicitous bitches he keeps falling in love with. Shallow Diana who was so clever that he never saw beneath her shallowness; bitter mean old dead Jane who was so pleasant until he married her and then who was soooo hard to live with; and, now, cruel, cruel Maddy who actually had reservations about destroying any chance she might have to rebuild her relationship with her sister. Argh. I hate this guy. It's all the bitches fault. He never spends one damn minute reflecting on his own actions and faults. It's never how shallow I must be to carry a torch for decades for a woman who dumped him and only had her looks to recommend her. If this was set today, Adam would be one of those creepy guys on the internet who spends his time trolling women.
June 7, 2019
Lost opportunity and so angsty to begin with!
I loved the first half and waited for the sister to arrive (will she, won’t she?) to makes things worse (read even more angsty) but things turn bland and boring and pedantic, and the h loses all her starch! What’s with sisters doing that to hs?
*spoilers* The H courted the sister 15 years ago (she was 18, he probably 28) but she opted for a more beneficial marriage. The H, heartbroken, married another, the wife died and he emigrated to Nova Scotia 4 years ago. The h had (quite uninvited and doggedly) tagged after the H and her sister when they went for walks as a 7 yo, had seen him as prince charming incarnate and as her man ideal - okay call it love!
Now, with the H and the sister both single again, the H sends a letter to the h’s father asking for the sister’s hand but the wily father, preferring to keep his adored and rich elder daughter to himself, sends the younger daughter instead.
So the h arrives, full of dreams, but the handsome man gives her one passing look and asks for his intended, Lady Thurston. That was one heartbreaking scene and I wanted more of it!
I love how the h never wilts but calls on her inner strength and deals with the next few weeks. Years of doing without love or approval or attention makes her capable of dealing with this rejection. The way she looks up ways of finding employment outside the H’s sphere is also admirable. There end the 'good' parts.
For me, the most unbelievable part of the book is how easily and quickly the H falls in love with the h. In a couple of weeks! What about years pining for the beauteous Diana? The author spends pages and time convincing the reader but somehow I couldn't buy it. So very implausible!
And then along comes Diana, does her whiny lady and bitchy sister act and we sigh alongwith the H, more so seeing the hitherto strong and opinionated h turn into a spineless and long-suffering lady’s maid.
Of course, these bitchy sisters always get some redemption work and heas of their own before the h is ever allowed to even think of her own life and hea.
I loved the first half and waited for the sister to arrive (will she, won’t she?) to makes things worse (read even more angsty) but things turn bland and boring and pedantic, and the h loses all her starch! What’s with sisters doing that to hs?
*spoilers* The H courted the sister 15 years ago (she was 18, he probably 28) but she opted for a more beneficial marriage. The H, heartbroken, married another, the wife died and he emigrated to Nova Scotia 4 years ago. The h had (quite uninvited and doggedly) tagged after the H and her sister when they went for walks as a 7 yo, had seen him as prince charming incarnate and as her man ideal - okay call it love!
Now, with the H and the sister both single again, the H sends a letter to the h’s father asking for the sister’s hand but the wily father, preferring to keep his adored and rich elder daughter to himself, sends the younger daughter instead.
So the h arrives, full of dreams, but the handsome man gives her one passing look and asks for his intended, Lady Thurston. That was one heartbreaking scene and I wanted more of it!
I love how the h never wilts but calls on her inner strength and deals with the next few weeks. Years of doing without love or approval or attention makes her capable of dealing with this rejection. The way she looks up ways of finding employment outside the H’s sphere is also admirable. There end the 'good' parts.
For me, the most unbelievable part of the book is how easily and quickly the H falls in love with the h. In a couple of weeks! What about years pining for the beauteous Diana? The author spends pages and time convincing the reader but somehow I couldn't buy it. So very implausible!
And then along comes Diana, does her whiny lady and bitchy sister act and we sigh alongwith the H, more so seeing the hitherto strong and opinionated h turn into a spineless and long-suffering lady’s maid.
Of course, these bitchy sisters always get some redemption work and heas of their own before the h is ever allowed to even think of her own life and hea.
February 12, 2023
Adam’s Promise reads like the Lite version of For All the Right Reasons. AP has fewer pages and a less complicated plot, but if you’re in the mood for sister lovin drama… you’ll get more angst from FAtRR.
We open with Madeline’s father informing her that she’s to travel to America to marry widower Adam Coates which is super good news because she has loved him since she was 11-years old when he started dating her sister. Her sister Diana (much like in FAtRR) is older, prettier, more refined, and focused on social climbing and wealth. She dumped Adam years ago like a hot potato when a better prospect came along, but is recently widowed. Adam actually has requested her, but their greedy dad wants Diana's money close, so he lies and sends Madeline. Off goes the unsuspecting Madeline with all her dreams coming true.
The beginning starts off fairly angsty because unlike Alex, Adam straight out tells her he’s not into her, and promptly sends word to her sister, but then Adam almost immediately feels guilty, and starts being nice to her. It picks up again, but then when I was ready to start heading to the HEA, we get another conflict that takes us to almost the end.
Bottom Line- Ok, KU romance with the younger sister pining after a man pining after her sister. It was a quick read, nothing very heavy, no sexytime, and lukewarm angst. I felt the ending was rushed, and that we needed an epilogue.
We open with Madeline’s father informing her that she’s to travel to America to marry widower Adam Coates which is super good news because she has loved him since she was 11-years old when he started dating her sister. Her sister Diana (much like in FAtRR) is older, prettier, more refined, and focused on social climbing and wealth. She dumped Adam years ago like a hot potato when a better prospect came along, but is recently widowed. Adam actually has requested her, but their greedy dad wants Diana's money close, so he lies and sends Madeline. Off goes the unsuspecting Madeline with all her dreams coming true.
The beginning starts off fairly angsty because unlike Alex, Adam straight out tells her he’s not into her, and promptly sends word to her sister, but then Adam almost immediately feels guilty, and starts being nice to her. It picks up again, but then when I was ready to start heading to the HEA, we get another conflict that takes us to almost the end.
Bottom Line- Ok, KU romance with the younger sister pining after a man pining after her sister. It was a quick read, nothing very heavy, no sexytime, and lukewarm angst. I felt the ending was rushed, and that we needed an epilogue.
May 23, 2021
I was super psyched to start this story about a young woman tricked by her father to go on a very long journey by sea to marry the man she had totally been infatuated with her entire childhood, only to find out the man had asked her father for her very gorgeous older sister's hand in marriage, NOT HERS. The Hero was super pissed off, disappointed and disgusted to see her instead of her gorgous sister when she walked off the boat. He was rude to her too.
Well, not really. Adam starts to regret his initial reaction to Madeline, and from then on treats her significantly kind, taking her in and making her a part of his family, while they wait for her gorgous sister to arrive. The story was a bit of a disappointment to me after getting psyched up for the hero and heroine to be stuck together in this awkward situtation, that turned out not to be so awkward very quickly. Adam develops feelings for Madeline very shortly into the story, regretting his request to her sister for her hand in marriage. When the sister finally turns up, she's such a hateful shrew nobody could stand her, especially not Adam. This was just a very sweet love story, Madeline was too good to be true and there really wasn't any angst, jealousy, or heartbreak in this tale like I was expecting. The story did keep me interested until the ending, despite the tameness of it, I just wish it could have had more angsty feelings to it.
May 21, 2016
A autora escreve bem e a história prende a atenção do leitor.
O herói é imaturo e fica preso ao amor do passado em que o suposto amor da vida dele o troca por um homem rico. Ele continua obcecado por ela e mesmo casado recebe cartas de amor da tal mulher. Claro que a esposa se ressente e fica amarga ao longo dos anos, afinal ele guarda com todo amor as cartas e a fotografia da ex e ainda a ama. A esposa é uma segunda escolha e ele só se casou com ela porque ela engravidou.
A esposa dele morre e anos depois a ex dele fica viúva. Ele já fica planejando o reencontro e revivendo na imaginação dele todo aquele amor do passado. Envia uma carta para o pai da ex a pedindo em casamento. O pai da ex, querendo se livrar da filha mais nova, envia a mulher errada pra ele.
Ao receber a heroína em vez da ex... ele fica P da vida e a trata muito mal.
Daí a história vai se desenvolvendo e vamos nos apaixonando pela heroína junto com o herói. Ela é uma mulher maravilhosa e merecia um homem melhor que nosso herói. Ele continua com atitudes imaturas e é completamente egoísta. Ele é indeciso e preso a um passado que nem era tão maravilhoso assim, afinal a ex o trocou por um cara rico e o descartou como sobras de ontem.
Quando a ex dele chega acontece o que já imaginávamos... ela é mimada, imatura, egoísta e uma verdadeira bitch com todo mundo. Ela não é nada daquilo que o herói fantasiou e uma série de incidentes vão acontecendo e a história vai se complicando.
Ele continua egoísta e imbecil até o final... ainda acho que a heroína merecia coisa melhor.
O herói é imaturo e fica preso ao amor do passado em que o suposto amor da vida dele o troca por um homem rico. Ele continua obcecado por ela e mesmo casado recebe cartas de amor da tal mulher. Claro que a esposa se ressente e fica amarga ao longo dos anos, afinal ele guarda com todo amor as cartas e a fotografia da ex e ainda a ama. A esposa é uma segunda escolha e ele só se casou com ela porque ela engravidou.
A esposa dele morre e anos depois a ex dele fica viúva. Ele já fica planejando o reencontro e revivendo na imaginação dele todo aquele amor do passado. Envia uma carta para o pai da ex a pedindo em casamento. O pai da ex, querendo se livrar da filha mais nova, envia a mulher errada pra ele.
Ao receber a heroína em vez da ex... ele fica P da vida e a trata muito mal.
Daí a história vai se desenvolvendo e vamos nos apaixonando pela heroína junto com o herói. Ela é uma mulher maravilhosa e merecia um homem melhor que nosso herói. Ele continua com atitudes imaturas e é completamente egoísta. Ele é indeciso e preso a um passado que nem era tão maravilhoso assim, afinal a ex o trocou por um cara rico e o descartou como sobras de ontem.
Quando a ex dele chega acontece o que já imaginávamos... ela é mimada, imatura, egoísta e uma verdadeira bitch com todo mundo. Ela não é nada daquilo que o herói fantasiou e uma série de incidentes vão acontecendo e a história vai se complicando.
Ele continua egoísta e imbecil até o final... ainda acho que a heroína merecia coisa melhor.
December 30, 2020
*** Book Q & A***
* How did the book make you feel?: I enjoyed this book and the angst, but it ended too soon and we never got a release from the sexual tension, if you know what I mean! It’s clean.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: It was told in dual POV and it was a truly great historical romance. Loved the descriptions of the Nova Scotia setting. I’ve been to the Bay of Fundy and loved it.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I loved them both and I found their romance believable.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: The sister was HORRIBLE. Ohmigosh!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Arranged marriage, wrong bride, enemies to lovers
* What did you think about the ending?: It was quite abrupt and I would’ve liked a love scene or epilogue.
* What is your impression of the author?: Lots of talent and great writing.
* How did the book make you feel?: I enjoyed this book and the angst, but it ended too soon and we never got a release from the sexual tension, if you know what I mean! It’s clean.
* How do you feel about how the story was told?: It was told in dual POV and it was a truly great historical romance. Loved the descriptions of the Nova Scotia setting. I’ve been to the Bay of Fundy and loved it.
* What did you think about the main characters?: I loved them both and I found their romance believable.
* Which parts of the book stood out to you?: The sister was HORRIBLE. Ohmigosh!
* What themes/tropes did you detect in the story?: Arranged marriage, wrong bride, enemies to lovers
* What did you think about the ending?: It was quite abrupt and I would’ve liked a love scene or epilogue.
* What is your impression of the author?: Lots of talent and great writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2017
review to follow
October 31, 2021
Well written, but a little boring.
September 8, 2016
An act of faith leads to the adventure of a lifetime in Julianne MacLean's, Adam's Promise. I have always been verbal about my adoration of this author's historical romances. Her characters are bigger than life but their vulnerabilities are sincere and relate-able. Adam's Promise is a great blend of exciting and heartwarming. Adam and Madeline are thrown together out of necessity. She wants a chance to start over away from the gossip and heartache. He wants the girl of his dreams at his side to celebrate, his triumph. A slight of hand sends Adam and Madeline on a journey that is unlike any other. From acquaintances to friends and a chance at something more each has to look within themselves to find the courage to take a chance at giving themselves completely. Although wordy, Adam's Promise offers romance, hope and heart.
February 13, 2026
4.25⭐️
May 1, 2023
This was a quick ,clean romance! Loved the premise but the characters were a bit shallow. It wss entertaining enough though.
February 11, 2023
I don't tend to read books about the colonizers. But the plot of the unwanted bride, hero loving the sister was calling to me so I gave it aa shot. I shouldn't have.
H is 15 years older but what's creepy is how he refers to her as fresh and innocent when at first she was too young. Gave me creepy older guy wanting a girl in her 20s vibe.
He loved her for being a housekeeper and governess. She cooked and cleaned and mended and he fell for her. At least he tried to be honorable and fix things when he 'fell in love'. Unfortunately it was too late.
Heroine was a massive doormat, she was treated like crap by her family and sister. She agrees to stay as the HOUSEKEEPER just in case her sister doesn't come! She let her sister abuse her and deserves to be unhappy.
Not recommended [also realized that I just read the last name of the author and totally thought this was Sarah Maclean's work whne I picked it up!]
H is 15 years older but what's creepy is how he refers to her as fresh and innocent when at first she was too young. Gave me creepy older guy wanting a girl in her 20s vibe.
He loved her for being a housekeeper and governess. She cooked and cleaned and mended and he fell for her. At least he tried to be honorable and fix things when he 'fell in love'. Unfortunately it was too late.
Heroine was a massive doormat, she was treated like crap by her family and sister. She agrees to stay as the HOUSEKEEPER just in case her sister doesn't come! She let her sister abuse her and deserves to be unhappy.
Not recommended [also realized that I just read the last name of the author and totally thought this was Sarah Maclean's work whne I picked it up!]
May 24, 2016
2.5 stars.
I just didn't fall in love with this book. It had a good premise and it did well. However, I had a few problems. One, the heroine's sister was not a likeable character and yet we were supposed to like her in the end after she "changed". Too little, too late for me.
Two, I thought the heroine was a little too stubborn and more interested in bettering her relationship with her sister instead of the hero.
I guess I really just didn't love the book. It was a nice love story but not quite what I was expecting. It was very...wholesome, is the right word. There wasn't a kiss between the H/h until way in the book. I did respect that the hero didn't tell the heroine he loved her until after he fixed the marriage offer to her sister. He was a very honorable man. The book itself just fell flat for me.
I just didn't fall in love with this book. It had a good premise and it did well. However, I had a few problems. One, the heroine's sister was not a likeable character and yet we were supposed to like her in the end after she "changed". Too little, too late for me.
Two, I thought the heroine was a little too stubborn and more interested in bettering her relationship with her sister instead of the hero.
I guess I really just didn't love the book. It was a nice love story but not quite what I was expecting. It was very...wholesome, is the right word. There wasn't a kiss between the H/h until way in the book. I did respect that the hero didn't tell the heroine he loved her until after he fixed the marriage offer to her sister. He was a very honorable man. The book itself just fell flat for me.
Read
September 30, 2016A new setting for a historical romance and I like that about this author. This was pretty good, but I think the author wrote herself in to a corner somewhat with where the story went and then after that point trying to give us the HEA. As a result, the last bit with the heroine, Madeline, and her sister Diana was not believable. And then the coming together of Madeline and Adam could have been so much more sweet because by the end both characters deserved a bigger declaration of love. Instead it was rushed and lukewarm.
January 28, 2020
A charming story about a bit a history I did not know about. In the 1770s a large group of people from Yorkshire (England) immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada. They were farmers. The land was below sea level and protected by dykes (built by the Arcadians) against the sea. This adds drama to the second part of the book.
Madeline's reputation, through no fault of her own, was in tatters. When her father informs her that he has arranged a marriage with Adam, Madeline is delighted. She had loved him since he had courted and been turned down by her beautiful older sister. Filled with a growing love, she steps off the boat in Canada to be met by Adam who had been expecting her big sister.
Adam is not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes women, but he is a good father and a good step-father (Lots of points there). He came to the New World to give his step-son and sons an hesitance and is willing to work hard to get it.
Ms. MacLean's story also illustrates the loosening of classes in Canada vs England. Adam, a mere tenant farmer in England, is now a leader in his community and meets with and even hosts important government figures.
My one criticism is that Madeline's father, an abusive parent, didn't get leprosy.
Madeline's reputation, through no fault of her own, was in tatters. When her father informs her that he has arranged a marriage with Adam, Madeline is delighted. She had loved him since he had courted and been turned down by her beautiful older sister. Filled with a growing love, she steps off the boat in Canada to be met by Adam who had been expecting her big sister.
Adam is not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes women, but he is a good father and a good step-father (Lots of points there). He came to the New World to give his step-son and sons an hesitance and is willing to work hard to get it.
Ms. MacLean's story also illustrates the loosening of classes in Canada vs England. Adam, a mere tenant farmer in England, is now a leader in his community and meets with and even hosts important government figures.
My one criticism is that Madeline's father, an abusive parent, didn't get leprosy.
April 22, 2015
This book started out great and for the first 70% it was just about perfect. After that the story takes a small turn for the worse, but thankfully that didn't last too long, and the story was saved from going completely to pot. LOL The book is well written, with relatable characters, and I found the story to be extremely touching. Madeline was easily my favorite character; she is strong, determined, and smart, yet so vulnerable. I was so in Madeline's corner, that when she first meets Adam, I didn't like him in the least. Happily, he very quickly he grew on me...I ended up loving him!
Madeline is the younger sister of two children. Her mother died giving birth to her, a fact for which Madeline's father has never forgiven Madeline. Her sister, Diana, who is some eleven years older than Madeline, is extremely beautiful, extremely vain, and thoroughly selfish. She thinks of no one, but herself. Being raised with an unfeeling parent, and a self-centered sister has resulted in Madeline's living a lonely, unloved existence for all of her twenty-two years. When Madeline was seven, she developed a huge crush on Adam, who at the time was a devoted admirer of the devastatingly beautiful Diana. Despite the fact that Diana claimed Adam was the love of her life, when presented with the opportunity she quickly accepted the marriage proposal of a baronet--poor Adam was just a tenant farmer. Adam was crushed by this turn of events, but subsequently married another woman and moved his family to Nova Scotia.
Almost sixteen years later, Adam and Diana are both widowed. Adam writes to Diana's father requesting her hand in marriage. Madeline's father concocts a scheme to get rid of his unwanted younger daughter and sends Madeline in Diana's stead--Madeline believes that Adam has offered for her, not Diana. The story begins with Madeline's arrival in Nova Scotia, after six weeks at sea. She is greeted by an by Adam, who, when he discovers that Madeline has been sent to be his bride, not Diana, is furious! Adam is surly and rude towards Madeline, even accusing her of plotting with her father in a scheme to catch herself a husband! Madeline is humiliate by this first encounter with Adam, which takes place in public, with witnesses. Nonetheless, Madeline does not cower before Adam, but stands up for herself, refusing to be intimidated.
Of course, after such a ignominious first meeting, Madeline wants nothing further to do with Adam, but he insists that she returns to his home with him. Against her better judgment, Madeline acquiesces, albeit reluctantly, and goes to Adam's home. However, she has no intention of remaining under Adam's roof any longer than is absolutely necessary. Madeline is resolved to get employment and start a life for herself in Nova Scotia, as she has no desire to return to her father's home, where she knows she is unwanted.
Adam sends of letters to Diana and his attorney in England, proposing a proxy marriage. While he awaits a response, life goes on with Madeline as a guest in his home. Adam is ashamed of his initial behavior towards Madeline and tries, in his own way, to made amends. For her part, Madeline discovers that she still harbors tender feelings towards Adam and tries to avoid him as much as possible. As the days go by, the couple's feelings for one another grow and develop. Adam is confused by his feelings for Madeline, and he tries to reconcile them with his continued feelings of infatuation for Diana. As for Madeline, she has to constantly remind herself that Adam is meant for Diana--she has no doubt that Diana will accept Adam's proposal, as he has always been the love of her life and now he has the added bonus of being very wealthy. When Diana finally does arrive, things get even more complicated, and this convoluted love triangle must undergo a few twists and turns before the couple ultimately get their HEA.
**DOUBLE SPOILER ALERT**
Don't worry, there is no marriage between Adam and Diana. She traveled to Nova Scotia on her own account. Diana is mean spirited and selfish. When she learns of Adam's love for Madeline, she schemes to keep the two apart. I was loving the story, until I got to the part where Diana gets injured--after being rejected by Adam--and purportedly suffers a mild case of amnesia. Madeline, feeling guilty about Adam's rejection of Diana, then turns into a doormat, allowing Diana to treat her like crap and withdrawing from Adam. I got tired of that scenario pretty quickly. I wanted to smack Madeline, even while I felt sorry for her! Thankfully, before too long Madeline comes to her senses and decides not to let her chance of happiness pass her by. Ultimately, the couple get their HEA and all ends well. My only complaint is that things turned out so well for Diana. I would have loved to have seen her, for once, get her comeuppance! Still, I was happy for Madeline who finally got the type of relationship with her sister that she always wanted.
So, bottom line, I really loved this story. It had a problem or two, but nothing that detracted too seriously from my enjoyment. This is one book that I wholeheartedly recommend as a worthwhile read. FYI, this is technically not a clean romance. There is one love scene, but it is only mildly descriptive, does not involve the use of crude language, and is easily skipped. Happy reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2022
The stars were for the angst . I liked the sensible heroine even if pining after her childhood hero wasn’t very sensible. I felt with her when the H humiliated her in the beginning. I liked that she didn’t crumble but found her inner strength. The plot was good. That also was a case of a proximity that makes hearts grow fonder.
I found some inconsistencies with the age and the age gap between some characters. I also could do without stringing a nice OM along. The last part of the book wasn’t as good. All in all it was an entertaining read
I found some inconsistencies with the age and the age gap between some characters. I also could do without stringing a nice OM along. The last part of the book wasn’t as good. All in all it was an entertaining read
November 15, 2017
Have no idea where all those four - five stars comes from. Fairly mediocre story. It is two stars only because heroine was a good character.
September 19, 2016
Note: my review is based on having read the version which was published in September 2016.
This is a reworked and re-edited version of the book which was originally published in 2003. Julianne MacLean does such a good job of creating rich characters with thought provoking storylines, and does with this book as well. Adam's Promise is a standalone book and does not end in a cliffhanger. It is sweet clean historical romance. Even though historical romance is not my typical genre, I really enjoyed this book and think you will too.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. Madeline boarded the ship from England bound for Nova Scotia to marry Adam, who she has loved forever thinking he wanted her. Adam wants her sister Diana, who was his first love, and was not at all happy to see her. Adam immediately sent another letter to England, this time directly to Diana, along with a marriage proxy. But the more time he spends with Madeline the more he enjoys being with her. And what happens with them if Diana decides accept his proposal? Even if Diana comes, will she stay with him or leave him again of someone wealthier comes along? I enjoyed this book so much I had a hard time putting it down.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a reworked and re-edited version of the book which was originally published in 2003. Julianne MacLean does such a good job of creating rich characters with thought provoking storylines, and does with this book as well. Adam's Promise is a standalone book and does not end in a cliffhanger. It is sweet clean historical romance. Even though historical romance is not my typical genre, I really enjoyed this book and think you will too.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. Madeline boarded the ship from England bound for Nova Scotia to marry Adam, who she has loved forever thinking he wanted her. Adam wants her sister Diana, who was his first love, and was not at all happy to see her. Adam immediately sent another letter to England, this time directly to Diana, along with a marriage proxy. But the more time he spends with Madeline the more he enjoys being with her. And what happens with them if Diana decides accept his proposal? Even if Diana comes, will she stay with him or leave him again of someone wealthier comes along? I enjoyed this book so much I had a hard time putting it down.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2016
5⭐️. Wow! I absolutely loved this story!
Julianne MacLean has once more swept me away with her talented writing!
With her vivid descriptions of the landscape, the characters and their behaviours, actions and routines, I was taken back in time to Cumberland of long ago. Madeline was my favourite, but the protagonists were all likeable except for her father and sister.
The plot is well developed with several unexpected surprises.
When Madeline steps off the ship in Nova Scotia, she is full of expectation and anticipation, looking forward to a new life as the bride of the widower Adam, the man who courted her older sister, Diana, and whom she has secretly loved and dreamed about for years.
What a shock to find out that her father had deceived her!
What will Madeline do?
Will she take a ship back to England?
Or will she stay in this faraway land?
Can she find work here?
A place to live?
Will she ever be safe and happy?
I highly recommend that you read this book!
Thank you, Julianne MacLean for writing this amazing book and giving me the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.
Julianne MacLean has once more swept me away with her talented writing!
With her vivid descriptions of the landscape, the characters and their behaviours, actions and routines, I was taken back in time to Cumberland of long ago. Madeline was my favourite, but the protagonists were all likeable except for her father and sister.
The plot is well developed with several unexpected surprises.
When Madeline steps off the ship in Nova Scotia, she is full of expectation and anticipation, looking forward to a new life as the bride of the widower Adam, the man who courted her older sister, Diana, and whom she has secretly loved and dreamed about for years.
What a shock to find out that her father had deceived her!
What will Madeline do?
Will she take a ship back to England?
Or will she stay in this faraway land?
Can she find work here?
A place to live?
Will she ever be safe and happy?
I highly recommend that you read this book!
Thank you, Julianne MacLean for writing this amazing book and giving me the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2016
Regency story. But set in the new world ,,, in Nova Scotia . Hero is Adam . Heroine is Madeline. Haha but there is a third wheel Madeline sister Diana . I love love Julianna Maclean books from her stories since Surender to a scoundrel.
This story takes place back in England where Madeline father tells her to pack everything that she can .... She received a marriage offer . Vw hen Madeline asks who from her father says Adam . Her father then goes and explainers that Adam has gone to the new world and he is a wealthy land owner . Her father then explainers that Adams wife has passed . Madeline sister Diana and Adam had a thing for each other . But Diana jilted him . Madeline has always loved Adam .
Madeline sets out and lands in Nova Scotia . There is only one SLIGHT problem Adam asked for Diana not Madeline hand . Her father saw it as a way to get her out of England because of the scandal . Adam said her will ask Diana to go there to him
Grab it and see how is the conflict resolved
This story takes place back in England where Madeline father tells her to pack everything that she can .... She received a marriage offer . Vw hen Madeline asks who from her father says Adam . Her father then goes and explainers that Adam has gone to the new world and he is a wealthy land owner . Her father then explainers that Adams wife has passed . Madeline sister Diana and Adam had a thing for each other . But Diana jilted him . Madeline has always loved Adam .
Madeline sets out and lands in Nova Scotia . There is only one SLIGHT problem Adam asked for Diana not Madeline hand . Her father saw it as a way to get her out of England because of the scandal . Adam said her will ask Diana to go there to him
Grab it and see how is the conflict resolved
June 22, 2020
I am wavering to dropping this to, maybe, a 3.75 or keep it at a low-mean 4, just because it serves the trope and angst well. But, once again, a book/story that never delivers on its promise. And from Harlequin? C'mon people...it had everything I wanted but then...wow, it did such disservice to its main couple...Adam and Madeline.
Then Diana...oh, man, dirty, dirty low-down mell of a hess Diana. I do not, and will not, belive she has changed an ounce. Nobody switches OFF that kind of narcissism or egomania THAT quickly. Not when it is inbred into her from such a young age to be "groomed" like she had been to think she was so much better than her lowly poor, younger, ugly sister [who killed their saintly mother during birth...gah!]<--in HER eyes, certainly never in the reader's vision of Madeline. She shined with "beauty" from within, but egh, lemme explain...
I understand and fully support this Title, Adam makes a promise and it IS BOND. First, with Diana...to the near-death...and then to Madeline, once he woke the hell up. But I liked him, even with his man'splations of his deep and ardent LOVE of Diana over Madeline, once he saw her and knew what she had gone through to get to him. I just...he lost some leverage with his a-hole attitude for NOT GETTING the wife he so desperately wanted and taking it out on Madeline. Okay, the reason I say this is because...he knew of Diana and Madeline 15yrs ago...Madeline was merely 7yrs old, but was he so freakishly blinded by the love that he NEVER saw the separation between the father's treatment between one daughter and another? I mean...sounds like he was a well-respected suitor to Diana...simply lacking in funds and popularity, or maybe a good family standing...like Aristocracy would be.
But whoa...something is off with Madeline, and it is tough to pin down. I get her stance. I have been in her shoes...found lacking and often invisible in the light of "better" older sibling. But somewhere along the way, Madeline's doggedness and her...pureness in familial loyalties just...there is such toxicity there. I know no one in her position would even bother to attempt to do what she did. And succeed. It seems too convenient that her dream-like older sister of perfection would make such an undefinable shift-change without some underhanded masterminding.
And, oh lord...what Madeline was willing to give up and over to Diana was rather empty-headed and too self-sacrificing---too much like a walking mat. Her sacrifice would be pointless and useless. Making a mountain out of mole-hill, in a sense. Diana was never supportive or respectful to her sister, at any time. I even wonder what those so-called woebegone memories of Madeline's were really about FROM DIANA's POV--the special ones that kept Madeline assuming there was still a spark of love from her sister to her as a child. And how it could've been the "right words" to use against saying to a cold-hearted sister who sees no one but herself and her woes and opinions.
I got what I wanted with the Adam & Madeline relationship...but well-past the mid-mark, once Diana shows her ugly repellent mug, I cannot see the same book. Adam was, once again...his "promise" and his love & loyalty are strong and always solid. He admitted his mistakes and apologized. He was honest and true to BOTH women, Diana and Madeline, sometimes almost painfully honest...eesh.
But, yeah...this convenient accident for Diana...was a bit too far for me. And then Madeline so willing and strangely eager to now, all-of-a-sudden, trade her place in Adam's house with a very suspect and weak and even wobbly bond with her sister? I wasn't quite sure this was the same Madeline who had been so certain she never wanted to return back to the hell on Earth she had been living amongst in her father/Diana's household...
I was sad when she DID cave in to Adam's mild seduction to remain in his household and legitly abandon that nice family she had promised to be governess to she had sailed across an ocean with...The Ripley's/Radley's, I think?... Also really didn't like the addition of an out-of-the-blue suitor for Madeline simply to play-on Adam's growing jealousy, as we later find out. Just, no. Please no.
And another bonus for me was an unmentioned Age-gap romance. One can possibly assume this by knowing Adam had courted Madeline's older sister...but the wide-age range between sisters is never mentioned. It's huge because when we meet Adam...he is 43yrs old...a bit of gray in his dark locks, which is kind of cool to learn along the way. Sadly, Madeline--once you calculate...was 7 when she truly "falls in love" with Adam...and it's been 15yrs or more/less since they have seen one another.
When Madeline lands at the fort...of course it is a strange woman Adam sees who IS NOT Diana, but he is also unaware this is little Madeline...the 7yr old hoyden who wouldn't leave the lovebirds alone. There is a maturity to Adam I enjoyed, especially when it came to his heart...and certainly when it also came to his way of life--how he enjoyed hard work for his own home and land...his children...and his ability to love his stepson, from a wife he had kind of blindly married when Diana had rejected him.
Adam is, quite possibly, the winner for me in this whole story...and Madeline, next...but man, I cannot foresee me ever giving Diana a running start or cutting her some slack.
That, my friends, was a convenient character change that was just banana-crazy-pants, and I won't allow myself to believe in an ounce of it. Sorry.
Then Diana...oh, man, dirty, dirty low-down mell of a hess Diana. I do not, and will not, belive she has changed an ounce. Nobody switches OFF that kind of narcissism or egomania THAT quickly. Not when it is inbred into her from such a young age to be "groomed" like she had been to think she was so much better than her lowly poor, younger, ugly sister [who killed their saintly mother during birth...gah!]<--in HER eyes, certainly never in the reader's vision of Madeline. She shined with "beauty" from within, but egh, lemme explain...
I understand and fully support this Title, Adam makes a promise and it IS BOND. First, with Diana...to the near-death...and then to Madeline, once he woke the hell up. But I liked him, even with his man'splations of his deep and ardent LOVE of Diana over Madeline, once he saw her and knew what she had gone through to get to him. I just...he lost some leverage with his a-hole attitude for NOT GETTING the wife he so desperately wanted and taking it out on Madeline. Okay, the reason I say this is because...he knew of Diana and Madeline 15yrs ago...Madeline was merely 7yrs old, but was he so freakishly blinded by the love that he NEVER saw the separation between the father's treatment between one daughter and another? I mean...sounds like he was a well-respected suitor to Diana...simply lacking in funds and popularity, or maybe a good family standing...like Aristocracy would be.
But whoa...something is off with Madeline, and it is tough to pin down. I get her stance. I have been in her shoes...found lacking and often invisible in the light of "better" older sibling. But somewhere along the way, Madeline's doggedness and her...pureness in familial loyalties just...there is such toxicity there. I know no one in her position would even bother to attempt to do what she did. And succeed. It seems too convenient that her dream-like older sister of perfection would make such an undefinable shift-change without some underhanded masterminding.
And, oh lord...what Madeline was willing to give up and over to Diana was rather empty-headed and too self-sacrificing---too much like a walking mat. Her sacrifice would be pointless and useless. Making a mountain out of mole-hill, in a sense. Diana was never supportive or respectful to her sister, at any time. I even wonder what those so-called woebegone memories of Madeline's were really about FROM DIANA's POV--the special ones that kept Madeline assuming there was still a spark of love from her sister to her as a child. And how it could've been the "right words" to use against saying to a cold-hearted sister who sees no one but herself and her woes and opinions.
I got what I wanted with the Adam & Madeline relationship...but well-past the mid-mark, once Diana shows her ugly repellent mug, I cannot see the same book. Adam was, once again...his "promise" and his love & loyalty are strong and always solid. He admitted his mistakes and apologized. He was honest and true to BOTH women, Diana and Madeline, sometimes almost painfully honest...eesh.
But, yeah...this convenient accident for Diana...was a bit too far for me. And then Madeline so willing and strangely eager to now, all-of-a-sudden, trade her place in Adam's house with a very suspect and weak and even wobbly bond with her sister? I wasn't quite sure this was the same Madeline who had been so certain she never wanted to return back to the hell on Earth she had been living amongst in her father/Diana's household...
I was sad when she DID cave in to Adam's mild seduction to remain in his household and legitly abandon that nice family she had promised to be governess to she had sailed across an ocean with...The Ripley's/Radley's, I think?... Also really didn't like the addition of an out-of-the-blue suitor for Madeline simply to play-on Adam's growing jealousy, as we later find out. Just, no. Please no.
And another bonus for me was an unmentioned Age-gap romance. One can possibly assume this by knowing Adam had courted Madeline's older sister...but the wide-age range between sisters is never mentioned. It's huge because when we meet Adam...he is 43yrs old...a bit of gray in his dark locks, which is kind of cool to learn along the way. Sadly, Madeline--once you calculate...was 7 when she truly "falls in love" with Adam...and it's been 15yrs or more/less since they have seen one another.
When Madeline lands at the fort...of course it is a strange woman Adam sees who IS NOT Diana, but he is also unaware this is little Madeline...the 7yr old hoyden who wouldn't leave the lovebirds alone. There is a maturity to Adam I enjoyed, especially when it came to his heart...and certainly when it also came to his way of life--how he enjoyed hard work for his own home and land...his children...and his ability to love his stepson, from a wife he had kind of blindly married when Diana had rejected him.
Adam is, quite possibly, the winner for me in this whole story...and Madeline, next...but man, I cannot foresee me ever giving Diana a running start or cutting her some slack.
That, my friends, was a convenient character change that was just banana-crazy-pants, and I won't allow myself to believe in an ounce of it. Sorry.
October 23, 2021
Truly one of the worst stories I've read in while. Adam is deplorable, how such a stupid man can master up the grit required to be poineer is beyond me. Madeline is basically a jellyfish with no spine but years of emotional abuse would do that to a girl. Her sister Diane is a misogynistic caricature and her motives are cartoonish; dreamed up in an incel chatroom. Can't believe a woman wrote this mess!
December 13, 2021
Meh.
Madeline definitely deserved way better than she got. That poor woman was abused by her family (father and sister) AND her "prince charming" Adam. I wanted her to give up on all of them and just find someone who would treat her well.
Adam was kind of a dick to her for a long time. I get this is a slow burn romance, but when the "hero" is pining for the heroine's sister for half of the book...yeah, no thanks.
I loved the setting, especially since this one tends to get very little love.
Madeline definitely deserved way better than she got. That poor woman was abused by her family (father and sister) AND her "prince charming" Adam. I wanted her to give up on all of them and just find someone who would treat her well.
Adam was kind of a dick to her for a long time. I get this is a slow burn romance, but when the "hero" is pining for the heroine's sister for half of the book...yeah, no thanks.
I loved the setting, especially since this one tends to get very little love.
September 3, 2016
Adam’s Promise displays strength in characters and morale fibre worth reading. I couldn’t help but cheer on Madeline’s character in her pursuit of both romantic and family love. Julianne MacLean is the queen of writing historical fiction!
March 3, 2017
One of my favorite books and it's currently on sale for 99 cents. 3/3/17.
March 23, 2017
Well-written
What a twisted up love triangle. Interesting characters although each annoyed me in their turn. A good story and sweet romance.
What a twisted up love triangle. Interesting characters although each annoyed me in their turn. A good story and sweet romance.
dnf-try-again-2
November 4, 20254/11/25. Stopped at 40%. the writing style was a bit lacklustre for me, however the pace was brisk and the events of the story interesting. however, I couldn't quite connect with the chemistry development between H and h probably because the writing felt a bit clumsy and a bit too tell rather than show. I do like the tropes though.
unrequited love where she fell for him young but he never noticed her as he was madly in love with her beautiful sister. years later, the plain, less glamorous, less ladylike sister then gets duped by her scheming dad into thinking the H wants to marry her (overseas, he's emigrated to Canada and made a success of himself), and she goes because she's always dreamed of him. only it turns out he had sent for her beautiful now widowed older sister and still loves and idealises the other sister. he is rude to h and cold with her and embarrasses her by rejecting her in front of her ship friends, but he has a conscience and soon regrets it but doesn't know how how to express it. he sends for her sister straight away that very day by letter, requesting a marriage by proxy, and our h hides her heartbreak and is determined to be practical and make a life for herself independent of him. she can't go home because her father was awful to her and her reputation back home is in tatters after a scoundrel preacher claimed she seduced him, totally untrue. plus she is already a 22 Yr old spinster. she now decides to work as governess for a family she met on the ship. she doesn't want to wait for her sis to come and to watch her sis with the man h loves... especially as she's still.loves him now they've spent time together on the land, her showing an interest in his farming efforts, her inpressing him with her cooking and helping to deliver a baby etc... plus his pov shows he is attracted to her but determined to put it down to unrequited lust for the beautiful sis.
she needs to leave before she suffers more heartbreak and determinedly gets anither job. but before h can go her new job, H's housekeeper quits. now who is going to look after all his kids from his first marriage? (he had married on the rebound after the beautiful sis dumped him for a baron.) so he pleads with the h to stay and be his housekeeper. emotional blackmail. she is heartbroken again because he said he wanted and needed her and for just a moment she hoped he meant as a woman. then he says blooming housekeeper! wth! poor girl.
that's the stage of the story I got up to. I would like to continue reading but am a but bored, not getting any genuine emotions or angst, and some other reviewers said in last half, after manipulative sis arrives, books gets worse rather than better?
another problem in the storytelling is that it doesn't quite come together naturally. set pieces, it feels like. for example, it would make more sense for her to become indispensable to his kids,especially his lonely sweet 7 year old daughter and young sone who need tenderness in their lives. but h has been there weeks and not developed that kinship with any of his family or kids? the author missed a trick there...
unrequited love where she fell for him young but he never noticed her as he was madly in love with her beautiful sister. years later, the plain, less glamorous, less ladylike sister then gets duped by her scheming dad into thinking the H wants to marry her (overseas, he's emigrated to Canada and made a success of himself), and she goes because she's always dreamed of him. only it turns out he had sent for her beautiful now widowed older sister and still loves and idealises the other sister. he is rude to h and cold with her and embarrasses her by rejecting her in front of her ship friends, but he has a conscience and soon regrets it but doesn't know how how to express it. he sends for her sister straight away that very day by letter, requesting a marriage by proxy, and our h hides her heartbreak and is determined to be practical and make a life for herself independent of him. she can't go home because her father was awful to her and her reputation back home is in tatters after a scoundrel preacher claimed she seduced him, totally untrue. plus she is already a 22 Yr old spinster. she now decides to work as governess for a family she met on the ship. she doesn't want to wait for her sis to come and to watch her sis with the man h loves... especially as she's still.loves him now they've spent time together on the land, her showing an interest in his farming efforts, her inpressing him with her cooking and helping to deliver a baby etc... plus his pov shows he is attracted to her but determined to put it down to unrequited lust for the beautiful sis.
she needs to leave before she suffers more heartbreak and determinedly gets anither job. but before h can go her new job, H's housekeeper quits. now who is going to look after all his kids from his first marriage? (he had married on the rebound after the beautiful sis dumped him for a baron.) so he pleads with the h to stay and be his housekeeper. emotional blackmail. she is heartbroken again because he said he wanted and needed her and for just a moment she hoped he meant as a woman. then he says blooming housekeeper! wth! poor girl.
that's the stage of the story I got up to. I would like to continue reading but am a but bored, not getting any genuine emotions or angst, and some other reviewers said in last half, after manipulative sis arrives, books gets worse rather than better?
another problem in the storytelling is that it doesn't quite come together naturally. set pieces, it feels like. for example, it would make more sense for her to become indispensable to his kids,especially his lonely sweet 7 year old daughter and young sone who need tenderness in their lives. but h has been there weeks and not developed that kinship with any of his family or kids? the author missed a trick there...
October 25, 2020
Based on the reviews, I almost didn't read this book!
Yes the hero was absolutely unlikable at the beginning: the way he humiliated Madeline at the fort when she just arrived, that was heartbreaking.
But to be honest, I understand him: he sent the letter to their father asking for her sister Diana's hand. Not for Madeline who was just a kid when he left. 21 years gap between them, she was 22, Diana 33 and Adam 43!
Some reviews said Adam kept corresponding with Diana after they both married other people: nope, Diana was the one to write and he never responded because he didn't want to encourage her. But he did keep her letters in a locked box with a miniature. She was his first love after all so again, I get it!
Apparently his wife was a shrew: some reviews portrays her as a victim, who found the letters and was bitter. Nowhere in the book that fact was mentioned.
I just saw Adam as a man who was jilted by his first love and found solace with a widow Jane and tried to make the best of it, even if he still cared for Diana. Now that they are both widowed, he wants to resume things with Diana and was understandably mad when her sister arrives. He thinks her a kid and doesn't think she can be a stepmom to his children.
He was not totally wrong lool, first he could have been her dad based on the age gap. Second, his oldest (well, his stepson) was only 4 years younger than Madeline.
But after a day or two of being grumpy, he decides to make amends with Madeline and get her help to marry Diana by proxy. Of course he doesn't want to give up on her right lol?!
In the meantime Madeline and Adam become friends, and they get quite closer. Adam obviously falls in love with Madeline and it is all really angsty, because he already proposed/marry Diana by proxy but he doesn't want her anymore after meeting Madeline.
The book has some twists, there is another man courting Madeline and making Adam jealous, and of course Diana plays the role of the evil other woman. I hated her, and I hated Madeline even more for being such a doormat to her. Madeline was such a strong character at first, why did she let Diana abuse and dominate her like that? Diana shouldn't have had her own happy ending after what she did.
Still a good story.It was different because it was not a romance between the gentry with titles and all, but between tenant farmers. I loved it!
It can't be a 5 stars because the part with Diana irked me, and there wasn't a epilogue to show how happy Madeline and Adam finally were... We only witness their angsty relationship, not enough of the good!
Yes the hero was absolutely unlikable at the beginning: the way he humiliated Madeline at the fort when she just arrived, that was heartbreaking.
But to be honest, I understand him: he sent the letter to their father asking for her sister Diana's hand. Not for Madeline who was just a kid when he left. 21 years gap between them, she was 22, Diana 33 and Adam 43!
Some reviews said Adam kept corresponding with Diana after they both married other people: nope, Diana was the one to write and he never responded because he didn't want to encourage her. But he did keep her letters in a locked box with a miniature. She was his first love after all so again, I get it!
Apparently his wife was a shrew: some reviews portrays her as a victim, who found the letters and was bitter. Nowhere in the book that fact was mentioned.
I just saw Adam as a man who was jilted by his first love and found solace with a widow Jane and tried to make the best of it, even if he still cared for Diana. Now that they are both widowed, he wants to resume things with Diana and was understandably mad when her sister arrives. He thinks her a kid and doesn't think she can be a stepmom to his children.
He was not totally wrong lool, first he could have been her dad based on the age gap. Second, his oldest (well, his stepson) was only 4 years younger than Madeline.
But after a day or two of being grumpy, he decides to make amends with Madeline and get her help to marry Diana by proxy. Of course he doesn't want to give up on her right lol?!
In the meantime Madeline and Adam become friends, and they get quite closer. Adam obviously falls in love with Madeline and it is all really angsty, because he already proposed/marry Diana by proxy but he doesn't want her anymore after meeting Madeline.
The book has some twists, there is another man courting Madeline and making Adam jealous, and of course Diana plays the role of the evil other woman. I hated her, and I hated Madeline even more for being such a doormat to her. Madeline was such a strong character at first, why did she let Diana abuse and dominate her like that? Diana shouldn't have had her own happy ending after what she did.
Still a good story.It was different because it was not a romance between the gentry with titles and all, but between tenant farmers. I loved it!
It can't be a 5 stars because the part with Diana irked me, and there wasn't a epilogue to show how happy Madeline and Adam finally were... We only witness their angsty relationship, not enough of the good!
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